I'm not necessarily talking "greatest of all time", just "the greatest right now". I was just thinking about the "grading system" that KOOL MOE DEE had on the sleeve of the "HOW YA LIKE ME NOW" album ('87 or '88? I don't have it in front of me right now). Moe Dee gave a "report card" to about 20 top MCs in the game at that time, on such categories as "voice", "ability to rock a crowd", "ability to make records", "rhyming ability", etc etc (I can't remember the exact categories, but they're sumthin like that)<P>Using these "categories", here's why I vote Black Thought the dopest RIGHT NOW…<P>RHYMES: Listen to the actual words that he rhymes line after line. He's a wizzard at the double-syllable (and often the triple-syllable and quadruple syllable rhyme). Also he S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-S this multi-syllable rhyme out over a whole verse, which is a mark of the greatest wordsmiths:<P>"You doubt the Il-la-Fifth<BR>what could you ac-com-pl-ish?<BR>Whether they skywriting ya name, or you an-on-y-mous<BR>You be speechless, with stinging si-nus-es<BR>The Roots royal high-nes-ses<BR>Through ya mon-i-tors<BR>I tilt my crown, then blow down a dime-a-kiss<BR>You need to buy a CD and stop re-winding-this<BR>I'm the fin-a-list<BR>Shining like a rugged am-e-thyst<BR>And at your music conference, I'm the pan-e-list<BR>Listen close to my poetry, I ex-a-mine-this<BR>Like an an-a-lyst<BR>To see if you can han-dle-this"<P>VOCABULARY: This is easy. Y'all know he swallowed a thesaurus. The best lyricists are always well-read (see Rakim, Chuck D, Common, KRS, and Ras Kass, to name a few). His choice of words always FITS the length of each line, each bar. You can tell that he spent much time writing his verses, and rewriting, and then rewriting again. Most MCs spit whatever they wrote first, it seems…<P>DELIVERY: This is where he does a FATALITY on the competition. BT is always ON THE BEAT. Listen to other "amateurs" (the "underground" is littered with 'em) and even some vets to see if their rhymes land on the beat. See, not always!! For example, El P, who is ill with the pen, is not always on beat (damn this annoys me). Even the dopest poets sometimes land offbeat (I think even Common is guilty sometimes - no flames please!!) The rhythm in Black Thought's voice is a gift that VERY FEW in the game have. Even if you just heard his rhyme a cappella you'd still be noddin that noggin. <P>Also, his BREATH CONTROL is so incredible, he can literally flow on-and-on like Erykah or etcetera. I heard that he can sing too, which definitely gives him an advantage over short breath MCs.<P>Finally, his VOCAL INFLECTIONS are always on JUST the RIGHT syllable in the verse, so each line is accentuated correctly:<P>"Check it out NOW<BR>It's the type cere-BRAL<BR>World renowned, illustrious, ille-GAL"<P>ABILITY TO ROCK A CROWD: Duh! Have you seen the Roots live? Call-and-response, arm-waving, throw-up-ya-lighters --- Black Thought got these all on lock. He knows how to CONTROL a crowd, not just pace to-and-fro on the stage. Remember, a wise hip hop 'god' (can't remember who) once said that the ability to ROCK THE CROWD was the first and foremost talent of a great M.C. - the MASTER OF CEREMONIES. ("Some people who MC don't know what this term means…")<P>VOICE: Guru said, "It's mostly the voice that gets ya up". Black Thought's voice is so powerful and forceful, that you MUST take notice when you hear it, like a KRS, a Chuck D, or an Ice Cube. <P>TOPICAL DIVERSITY: Okay, here's where he might not be as strong as a Common, a Black Star, a Slick Rick, or a Dre from OutKast. But for all the other elements, we'll forgive him for this one. But in terms of saying "I'm the dopest", no one does it as vividly as BT. <P>Sorry this post is long, but I'm seeing y'all bigging up Mos Def, GZA, O.C., and Slim Shady (all dope in their own right), but I STILL don't think Black Thought getS all his props. In 1999 I give Black Thought STRAIGHT A's (and some "A-minuses"). So there it is…<P><P><P><P><P>